Dave Matthews Band is a college-rock phenomenon, one of those bands that maintains a sort of cult following beyond every circumstance. The appeal harkens back to the days of the Grateful Dead; it's the same sort of popularity, that never-miss-a-concert determination. It's fascinating and impossible to exactly pin down. There's just something about the eclectic, innovative pop-rock of Dave Matthews Band that speaks volumes to those meandering around college campuses.
It definitely has something to do with the band's beginnings. Formed in Virginia in 1991, Dave Matthews Band started as a completely independent band, no support from any big-wig in the music industry. They started touring almost immediately and focused on areas overrun with college students; it was their best bet for getting people the shows and making enough money to move on. As the tours grew larger and the cult fan base wider, the band realized they'd need a record to keep the buzz (and the band fund) alive -- so they financed their own. Fueled by word of mouth, the 1993 album did incredibly well for an independent release and eventually scored the band a major label deal.
Given the band's already large popularity, it's not surprise that their 1994 major label debut Under the Table & Dreaming did extremely well. Propelled by the power of a massive hit single "What Would You Say," the album went gold very quickly. And the follow-ups only got bigger: 1996's Crash went platinum within the first month and 1997's platinum live album Live at Red Rocks 8-15-95 was an unprecedented success for a live recording. The buzz around Dave Matthews Band grew to epic proportions; it wasn't long before they were one of the most beloved pop-rock bands in existence.
The cornerstone for the buzz has always been live shows and Dave Matthews Band, never faltering with their tour schedule, put on one the best shows around. Dave Matthews Band concert tickets are as coveted on college campuses as inexpensive text books; the shows are always packed to the gills with enthusiastic and excited fans. That energy transfers from audience to band; Dave Matthews Band concerts are all about hyperactivity, rollicking fun. Everyone needs a little rollicking fun -- that's precisely what made a Dave Matthews Band concert such a phenomenon in the first place.
